Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are both effective treatments for some patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet little is known about the neurochemical changes related to these treatment modalities. Here, we used positron emission tomography and the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan tracer to examine the changes in brain regional serotonin synthesis capacity in OCD patients following treatment with CBT or SSRI treatment. Sixteen medication-free OCD patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either CBT or sertraline treatment. Pre-to-post treatment changes in the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan brain trapping constant, K∗(ml/g/min), were assessed as a function of symptom response, and correlations with symptom improvement were examined. Responders/partial responders to treatment did not show significant changes in relative regional tracer uptake; rather, in responders/partial responders, 12 weeks of treatment led to serotonin synthesis capacity increases that were brain-wide. Irrespective of treatment modality, baseline serotonin synthesis capacity in the raphe nuclei correlated positively with clinical improvement. These observations suggest that, for some patients, successful remediation of OCD symptoms might be associated with greater serotonergic tone.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 82 |
| Journal | Translational Psychiatry |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2018 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Biological Psychiatry
Cite this
Brain serotonin synthesis capacity in obsessive-compulsive disorder : Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy and sertraline. / Lissemore, Jennifer I.; Sookman, Debbie; Gravel, Paul; Berney, Alexandre; Barsoum, Amir; Diksic, Mirko; Nordahl, Thomas E; Pinard, Gilbert; Sibon, Igor; Cottraux, Jean; Leyton, Marco; Benkelfat, Chawki.
In: Translational Psychiatry, Vol. 8, No. 1, 82, 01.12.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain serotonin synthesis capacity in obsessive-compulsive disorder
T2 - Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy and sertraline
AU - Lissemore, Jennifer I.
AU - Sookman, Debbie
AU - Gravel, Paul
AU - Berney, Alexandre
AU - Barsoum, Amir
AU - Diksic, Mirko
AU - Nordahl, Thomas E
AU - Pinard, Gilbert
AU - Sibon, Igor
AU - Cottraux, Jean
AU - Leyton, Marco
AU - Benkelfat, Chawki
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are both effective treatments for some patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet little is known about the neurochemical changes related to these treatment modalities. Here, we used positron emission tomography and the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan tracer to examine the changes in brain regional serotonin synthesis capacity in OCD patients following treatment with CBT or SSRI treatment. Sixteen medication-free OCD patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either CBT or sertraline treatment. Pre-to-post treatment changes in the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan brain trapping constant, K∗(ml/g/min), were assessed as a function of symptom response, and correlations with symptom improvement were examined. Responders/partial responders to treatment did not show significant changes in relative regional tracer uptake; rather, in responders/partial responders, 12 weeks of treatment led to serotonin synthesis capacity increases that were brain-wide. Irrespective of treatment modality, baseline serotonin synthesis capacity in the raphe nuclei correlated positively with clinical improvement. These observations suggest that, for some patients, successful remediation of OCD symptoms might be associated with greater serotonergic tone.
AB - Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are both effective treatments for some patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet little is known about the neurochemical changes related to these treatment modalities. Here, we used positron emission tomography and the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan tracer to examine the changes in brain regional serotonin synthesis capacity in OCD patients following treatment with CBT or SSRI treatment. Sixteen medication-free OCD patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either CBT or sertraline treatment. Pre-to-post treatment changes in the α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan brain trapping constant, K∗(ml/g/min), were assessed as a function of symptom response, and correlations with symptom improvement were examined. Responders/partial responders to treatment did not show significant changes in relative regional tracer uptake; rather, in responders/partial responders, 12 weeks of treatment led to serotonin synthesis capacity increases that were brain-wide. Irrespective of treatment modality, baseline serotonin synthesis capacity in the raphe nuclei correlated positively with clinical improvement. These observations suggest that, for some patients, successful remediation of OCD symptoms might be associated with greater serotonergic tone.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85045614299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85045614299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41398-018-0128-4
DO - 10.1038/s41398-018-0128-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 29666372
AN - SCOPUS:85045614299
VL - 8
JO - Translational Psychiatry
JF - Translational Psychiatry
SN - 2158-3188
IS - 1
M1 - 82
ER -